ML19322C426
| ML19322C426 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 03/28/1979 |
| From: | Dvorchak R ASSOCIATED PRESS |
| To: | |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-TMR PR-790328, NUDOCS 8001170507 | |
| Download: ML19322C426 (2) | |
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s f Tops oith 13 new pafs to updatos aoving Hart statements to 7the th and 9th pafs
- edits throughout to tighten and c ensolidate previous loads and inserts.
Laserphotos HII,2r L Anis 2s RE12, tap UY24 By BOB DVCRCHAK Associated Press Writer H1RRISBURGs Pa.
A?
- An accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear p on er plant apparently damaged the reactor core and allowed radioactive material to leak into the etmospheres the government said Wednesday.
Officials said their roadings indicated there was no immediate danger to the publier and there were no plans to evacuate the 158000 people living within a mile of the plant, mison Cases a Nuclear Regulatorv Commission suokesmans said radiation levels inside the planles reactor tullding registered at is 000 time s normal.
But George Troffere manager of generation quality assurance for Metropolitan Edisons one of the consortium of companies that runs the plant e said he thought that figure was too high. He said the level nas perhaps 10 times more than normal.
Company employees and ERC officials worked at the plant to reduce the t emperature and pressure inside the reactor dome to allon engineers to enter and check the reac tor for damage.
A plant spokesman said a sa handful,, of workere were exposed to radiation in the accidents but none was seriously contaminated or hospitalized.
In Unshingtone Sen. Gary Harte D-Colo.* said bucan error appeared to have been a factor in the incident.
s sI am informed by the NRC that the e=ergency core cooling system was turned off prematurely - resulting in partial blockage of water needed to cool the nuclear core and keep it under controit e s caid Harts chairman of the Senate subcommittee on nuclear radiation, s 8 sod 0 human Crror seems to have been involved in restonding to the emergency situatione e s he saide adding the NRC had told him radiation levels outside the plant did not pose a health hazard.
Case said radioactive gases from the plantes nuclear fuel may have leaked out of the plants which was shut down by the accident. There was no word when the electric facility would resume operation.
A statement.from General Public Utilities
- the consortiwn which 7
operates the plante said there.was s esome low-level release of 4
radioactive ps beyond the site boundary
..Despite this releases the company does not telieve the level constitutes a danger to the heal.th and safety of the public.,,
Earliers the' consortium said the accident may have damaged the fuel cladding
- metal tubes which contain the pellets of radioactive uranium fuel The cause of the accident - or the precise sequence of events that led to the radiationes release - could not be immediately determined.
r~ But Lt. Gov. William Scranton III said steam containing radioactive
?'
l material was released into the air for over two hours to sarelieve potentially dangerous pressure,s in the reactor.
- *The situation is more complex than the company first led us to
" believes,, Scranton said.
asIt the release of the steam was done to relieve potentially dangerous pressure in the reactor chamber *,, Scranton said, asBecause of an apparent leak in the primary cooling system. radioactive material was discharged into the air along with the steame s, he said.
Company officials could not be reached for comment on Scrantones st ate ment s but Leonard Matte a spokesman for the consortiums said a ss ome damage to the fuel cladding may have occurred.e s The extent of the damages if ase was not known.
Case said heat-caused pressure beide the dome had risen temporarily to four or five pounds per square inch above outside atmospheric pressure - enoup to cause leakage. The leaking pees may have included iodine and xenons he saMe but not uranium or plu tonium.
A nuclear andneer for the state Department of Environmental Resources
- William Dornsifer said the core became overheated during the inc ident, e sThe core was covered. The core was flooded. Something caused the core to overheat
- r e he said The consortium reported the possible damage to the claddin f tar en W M DI 30 7
ace ente but nono was scriously contaminated or
--...2 a.-
hcepitalizcd.
In Unohingtone Sen. Gary Harts D-dolo.* said bucan error appeared havo boon a factor in the incident.
88I am inforned by the NRC that the emergency core cooling syste; was turned off prematurely - resulting in partial blockage of water needed to cool the nuclear core and keep it under contro18,s said HSrts chairman of the Sonate subcommittee on nuclear radiation.
(8Some human error seems to have been involved in restoniing to thc emergoncy situatione,e he saids adding the NRC had told him radiatic levels outcide the plant did not pose a health hazard, Case said radioactive gases from the plantes nuclear fuel may have i
leaked out of the plants which was shu t down by the accident. There nas no word when the electric facility would resume operation, A ctatement from General Public Utilitiess the consortium which s3 operates the plants said there was 8 8some low-level release of
+c 2 radioactive as beyond the site boundary
.. Despite this relear.
the cocpany does not believe the level constitutes a danger to the health knd safety of the public.,,
Earliere the consortium said the accident may have damaged the fuel cladding
- metal tubes which contain the pellets of radioactive uranium fuel.
The cause of the accident - or the trecise sequence of events that led to the radiationsa release - could not be immediately determined But Lt. Gov. William Scranton III sairl steam containing radioactive material was released into the potentially dangerous pressure, air for over two hours to 88re11 eve e in the reactor
!sThe situation is more complex than the compan.y first led us to telieves,, Scranton said.
58It the releaso of the steam
. dangerous pressure in the reactor chambers,,was done to relieve pctentially Scranton said. 8cBecaur-of an cpparent leak in the primary cooling system. radioactive mat erial was discharged into the air alcag cith the steam's,' he said.
Company officials could not to reached for comment on Scrantones st atement s but Leonard Matts a spokesman for the consortiums said 8 8S ome damage to the fuel cladding may have occurred.e s The extent of the damages if any* was not known.
Case said heat-caused pressure insado the dome had risen temporaril; to four or five pounds per square inch above outside atmospheric pressure - enoup to cause leakage. The leaking gases may have included iodine and xenone he saide i
but no.t uranium or plu tonium.
A nuclear angneer for the state Department of Environmental Resources
- William Dornsifee said the core became overbected during the incident. 8 8The core was covered. The core was flooded. Somethinc caused the core to overheat *rp he said.
The consortium reported the rossible damage to the cladding af ter at Mic spokesman said the accide'nt sent radiation beaming up to a mila r
away through the 4-foot-thick walls of the power plant.
Joe Fouchard* the spokesmans said -the amount of radiation was relatively smalle adding that what registered a mile from the plant was comparable to that given off during a medical I-ray.
Plant officials had said only a small amount of radioactive steam escated when a valve bien out on a watcr pump that cools one of the rlaniss two reactors. A second reactor was shut down earlier for refueling Plant officials said some workers may have teen,contaminsted.
88 Ism sure some of them got ernosures but positively none were over esgosed s a s said Jack Herbeins vice president for generation st Metropolitan E11 son. The plcnt employs 500 persons.
Plant spokesman Llaine ?tbian saids 8 8There is absolutely no danger of a me1 Mown. We are not in a 8 China syndromer-tne situation He referred to a movie that dramatizes the possibility of an uncoo.> sled nuclear reactor core melting and turning into the earth.
l The $1 billion plants on an island in the Susouehanna River 10 miles coutheast of heres bepn operation in 1974.
Dornsife said initial reMings showed the amount of radiation that escaped was 1 millirem per hour. But a plan't spokesman said readings later incresoed to 2 to 3 millareme per hour at the edge of the site.
l Norma 11yr Americans are exposed to tetween 100 and 120 millirema per year from such thing as the sun and I-rays. A chest I-ray could give a pers on up. to 30 m1111 rems.
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